Areas of Rome buried in starling droppings

ROME, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Rome residents are advising people walking the city's streets to carry umbrellas to keep from being bombarded by starling poop.

Italy's Bird Protection League charity said there has been a delay in the Rome city council's funding for annual efforts to keep the starlings away from people and property, leading to areas of the city, including Campo and along the River Tiber, being covered in the birds' feces, ABC News reported Wednesday.

Some residents advised walkers to carry umbrellas and wear fishermen's boots to keep from being sullied by the waste while English-language blog RomeStyle advised those who come into contact with starling feces to take it in stride.

"If you do get pooped on, just tell everyone it's good luck and carry on," the blog said. "It's kind of a rite of passage."

Officials estimate about 5 million starlings travel to Rome during the annual October-January migration, and the delayed funds are usually put toward city workers using loudspeakers to broadcast falcon calls to scare the birds away from public areas.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.